Tower Hamlets rejects ‘scurrilous’ fraud claim

Is voter fraud rife? Pic: Adelle Kalakouti

Tower Hamlets council have rejected claims that voter fraud is rife in the borough following an investigation by the Evening Standard newspaper.

The investigation revealed that the current electoral register shows multiple flats have a large amount of tenants registered, but that these numbers are incorrect.

According to Town Hall records, 550 people are registered to 64 addresses in Tower Hamlets, with an average of three people per bedroom, the Evening Standard reported earlier this week.

When visiting a flat that records indicated held twelve people, tenants told the paper there was “no way” the amount of people recorded could live there.

Further enquires made by the Standard revealed more alleged inaccuracies, as current tenants said the names on the register belonged to people who did not live in the property anymore.

The council has a legal obligation to maintain correct data in the electoral roll, as of the Representation of the People Act 1983.

It is not the first time Tower Hamlets has been under scrutiny regarding electoral fraud claims. As reported by ELL in May 2010, four investigations of voter fraud in the borough were launched, but no convictions were made.

A council spokesperson said: “Tower Hamlets refutes the scurrilous suggestion that voter fraud is rife in our borough. We take the issue of electoral fraud extremely seriously, and all allegations are referred to the police for investigation.”

The spokesperson added: “We rigorously check suspicious registrations by site visits to properties and where necessary we take people off the voting register. We also visit all properties with more than 8 registrations.”

Leave a Reply